redfiona99

Award Ceremonies:

Jackie Chan awarded honorary Oscar - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37253382 I suspect I may have shared this before.

History:

Slum photographs spark charity appeal - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-37288396

Oscar Wilde love letter celebrated 'behind bars' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37277397

What Al Capone can teach India about prohibition - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-37230259

Mary Rose shipwreck skulls go online in 3D - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-37250413

Miscellaneous:

Single mum drags up for 'Donuts with Dad' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-37307984 1 - this Mum is awesome. 2 - why is it always 'x with Dad' events. It's like once again, father's get cookies for just doing the basics.

Downton's effect on the political mood - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37288981

Dying mum's letter found in book in second-hand bookshop - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-37284497 Update: letter's intended recipient found.

Marvel, Jack Kirby, and the Comic-Book Artist’s Plight -
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/09/marvel-jack-kirby-and-the-plight-of-the-comic-book-artist/498299/

News:

What Is Aleppo? This Is Aleppo - https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2016/09/what-is-aleppo-this-is-aleppo/499163/

Workers must not pay the price of Brexit, says TUC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37300445

Mapuche community in Argentina fights fracking site - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-36892770

Science:

Why We Still Don’t Have Better Batteries - https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602245/why-we-still-dont-have-better-batteries/

Sport:
Football:

The Old Firm rivalry opens new chapter - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-37310016

USA star Megan Rapinoe kneels during national anthem to support Colin Kaepernick -
http://lebuzz.eurosport.co.uk/viral/megan-rapinoe-kneels-during-usa-national-anthem-to-support-colin-kaepernick-18545/

Football tackles conflict on the front lines - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37153684

FA Cup: Rio Ferdinand's body double & the ex-Man City player looking to spend £500 -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37177613

Formula 1:

Felipe Massa: the closing of an F1 career that has experienced ecstasy and agony -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/37244253 Obviously from before the un-retirement

Ice hockey:

Lightning's J.T. Brown speaks out on life 'as a black athlete in the NHL' -
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/lightning/jt-brown-on-his-reality---as-a-black-athlete-in-the-nhl/2292690

Paralympics:

Rio Paralympics 2016: GB stars hoping to shine on the big stage - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37220234

Rio Paralympics 2016: Lee Pearson to be Great Britain flagbearer - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37290538

Rio Paralympics 2016: 'It's not about how full the stadiums are' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37196387

Rio Paralympics 2016: Ex-Liverpool junior Sean Highdale is heading to Rio -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37232402

Rugby League:

Batley Bulldogs fan banned over Keegan Hirst tweets - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-37278162 You'll notice that it's a life time ban because rugby league does not tolerate this.

Television:

In pictures: The Prisoner at 50 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-37232329 Just ignore some of the text. I'm not sure the unnamed writer has ever watched the show.

One thing I forgot to mention about the 6 Nations, is much though I would have preferred the result to go the other way, part of me was greatly thrilled by the French pack overwhelming the Scottish one, given how much smaller they were. I grant small is relative, but when the opposition have three players over 6 foot 7, victories of brains over brawn are to be appreciated.

~~~~

Some Superbowl thoughts:

1) I find it interesting that in American football, the advice is tackle high while in rugby, it's tackle low. And I know why it is, because of the different rules about wrapping of legs, but I'm still not convinced that a well timed strike to the ankle isn't more likely to stop someone than a well timed strike to the waist.

2) One day, I will understand all this 3rd and inches stuff. That day was not yesterday.

3) Did I just seriously and for real get told that the biggest American football game of the year is being played on astroturf? Why would you do that to the players?

4) I am struck by how much easier UK commentators have it. Even on commercial TV, they don't have to regularly mention the sponsors.

5) I <3 Mike Carlson. And Tiki Barber. And Jake Humphries who is once again the BBC's go to guy for anything that involves strange hours and jet-lag.

6) Black Eyed Peas need to update that rhyme in "Boom Boom Pow!" It's not like it would be difficult - 'I'm so two-thousand and eleven, you're so two-thousand and seven'. I grant next year would be more difficult.

7) BEP are forgiven for everything. Slash!

8) If I were an NFL coach, I'd grab a coach from rugby league for the ball control bit, going off what Tiki Barber says about how you're supposed to hold the ball.

9) I get why it's when it is, but given how physical American football is, I'm amazed by when the Pro-Bowl is.

~~~~

Film Meme

Day 22 - Favorite Academy Award acceptance speech

I was very tempted to use Michael Caine's best supporting actor speech from 1999 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivUKqE4hIvQ

but my real favourite is the one that the director of Kolya gave when it won the Best Foreign Film Oscar for 1996



( The Other Days )

That proper post I promised; it's going to have to wait a little longer.

Just reading up on the Oscar noms.

The most noticable thing is that, for the first time in years, I've actually seen some of the films nominated for Best Pictures (Up and Avatar). Unfortunately, I still don't care, because I know Up isn't going to win and it's roughly 4 times better than Avatar, which might.

Watching the MTV Movie awards and I now sooooo want to watch the Fantastic Four, even if Johnny Storm looks wrong because eee they may have made Ioan Gruffud bareable to me. And because what's his face from the Shield is a perfect Thing and Julian McMahon is playing Victor Doom. Eeeee!

Jimmy Fallon is just not funny.
Now Dustin Hoffman is funny.
The Rock is doing his thing.
Quentin Tarantino rocks for bringing on the stunt doubles.
Samuel L. Jackson rocketh muchly.
As do the Foo Fighters.

Madly pleased that Napoleon Dynamite is winning stuff even though I've still not seen it. Mainly because the advertising for it lead to me meeting two of the most totally rad dudes ever. (Choice of words is very deliberate.)

Proper NME awards write up later but for now, the important information is that the Kaiser Chiefs are so very good.

I love music right now, more than I have for six or more years. Britpop lives.

Mum got me "LOTR: The Making of the Movie Trilogy", which I did a quick read through. It's fantastic, and the sheer amount of work that went into the films boggles the mind.

Yo the Academy, not only should you give PJ best director, but LOTR should get best make-up, SFX and costumes.

Oh and best score too, but I don't expect you ever to get that one right. (BTW, yes I'm still peed off about Gladiator not winning)

So tempted to buy the first two EE DVDs from Amazon, but yet scared of it at the same time. Anyone got any Amazon horror stories/good stories to tell?

My birthday cake had penguins and an igloo. Which was cool.

( Okay my two cents )

Just something which amused me. Apparently Snoop Dogg had to go one better than DMX's dimond studded collars for his pitbulls, so he had two girls on leashes with him and they had diamond studded collars. Love that man.

I'd just like to say that despite the squeaky voice and general girliness, David Beckham is a very good football player.


And a decent dude in general.

Because in case you hadn't gathered I am an awards show whore. Edited because I saw how long the post was:

Best Picture

Hope: If this isn't obvious to anyone, I don't know I could make it more so LOTR: The Two Towers
Prediction: Hah! like any fantasy film will ever win this. I suspect it will be The Hours, as it is both arty and has disease of week elements.

Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominees

Hope: Adrien Brody - because I think his is the performance that was possibly the most difficult to do.
Prediction: Jack bloody Nicholson again. Nothing against the dude, but no!

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Hope: Salma Hayek, not just for the performance but for her determination to get the film made.
Prediction: And the winner is Nicole Kidman. Which I can live with. Julianne Moore won't win it because she's too outspoken, no one went to see Unfaithful or Frida, and Renee Zellweger ain't no Liza Minelli.

Best Supporting Actor

Hope: Christopher Walken, if only because he is one of my favourite actors.
Prediction: Um, hard to tell. We have 1 legend who the Academy has mistreated in the past, 2 stars and then two have been around for ages but have finally made some sort of impact on the Academy. So as it's best support I think it'll go to John C Reilly or Chris Cooper.

Best Supporting Actress

Hope: See the look of I don't care. I don't dislike any of them, but Meryl Streep if only for the spanking.
Prediction: Julianne Moore might just get it. But probably Cathrine Zeta Jones

Best Director

Hope: That the Academy realise that they have made a grave ommision and give it to Peter Jackson./ fangirl fantasy. I want either Scorcese or Polanski to win it for artistic reasons or Almodovar for the controversy he could cause.

Prediction: Well they ain't going to be giving it to Polanski unless the Academy realise its not a moral contest but an artistic one. Stephen Daldry won't get it, because he's not a big name. So either Rob Marshall or Martin Scorcese (finally)

( Best Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Animated film and Foreign Film )

( Cinematography, Art, Costume, Make Up, Sound and Editing Awards )
Best Score

Hopes: The Hours because my friends have told me it is beautiful
Prediction: I actually think the Hours could win this one.

Best Song

Hopes: Lose Yourself, because it was one of the best songs this year full stop.
Prediction: Paul Simon due to the not giving Mrs. Robinson the award problem.

( Effects Awards )

Best Documentary

Hopes: It's all about Michael Moore
Prediction: Unless they wish me to declare it a fiasco, Bowling for Columbine, because come on, when was the last time a documentary was so big, and won a best film award somewhere.

And that's it.

Rugby - Jonathan Davies (bach) was the guest on 'This is Your Life' and I'd forgotten quite how brilliant a player he was. I mean he rocks my socks as an analyst, but really, you've got to be good to be brilliant at both codes. And Ellery Hanley was on and he had such a good speech.

They had a male voice choir singing the Welsh Anthem at the end and it is so beautiful.

Of course this lead on to my usual refrain of how awful the British national anthem is. For comparison I shall use the anthems of the countries of the 6 Nations Tournament.

Wales - How wonderful is my land
Italy - How wonderful is my land
France - How wonderful is my land
Ireland - How wonderful is my land
Scotland - How wonderful is my land (and get rid of the english)

Meanwhile England - we love a woman who does nothing for us, who gets far too much money and whose relatives sponge off the state and are still not called dole scroungers.

"God Save the Queen" sucks.

Buffy, not to give anything away, was great. But how stupid is Dawn, it's like hello, get over yourself, you are not the centre of the world. They all have far more important things to do than listen to your adolescent whining.

The quality of compassion is not Red Fiona

( Brit awards madness )